LAS VEGAS--An HDTV should be all about the picture, and LG's best television announced at CES, the LX9500 series of LED-based LCDs, has the design to prove it. This striking, inch-thin panel is nearly all picture when seen from the front, with a bezel that measures just 8.5 millimeters (0.33 inch) from the edge of the picture to the edge of the frame. It's the thinnest bezel we've ever seen, and results in a very slick look.

Packed into that thin panel is the company's best feature set. The LX9500 is the only TV announced by LG so far to include 3D capability, and although details were sketchy at this point, we do know that the company is using the same active shutter LC glasses technology as other 3D purveyors at the show. Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, Toshiba and Vizio also announced 3D-capable HDTVs products.

LG also endowed its flagship with what it calls a "Magic Wand" remote, which is supposed to behave much like the Wiimote controller used on the Nintendo Wii. According to the company: "This 'Magic' user interface brings together menus, component controls and even embedded games, which can be accessed using a simple remote that combines minimal buttons and gestures to control the on-screen activity." In our experience using a Wiimote to select screen icons is an experience that ranges from annoying to rage-inducing, but we'll leave off panning the Magic Wand until we actually get to use one.

One final step-up separates the LX9500 from its step-down brethren: the only 480Hz refresh rate we've seen announced so far. We're guessing that this set combines LG's scanning backlight and the motion-estimation motion compensation process used by Samsung and Sony (more info). Either way, we really doubt this higher refresh rate will have much of a discernible impact on picture quality.